The tremendous rock voice behind the 1982 Foreigner hit Juke Box Hero — singer Lou Gramm — will be in the audience Thursday night when the new musical of the same name has its world premiere at Toronto’s Ed Mirvish Theatre.

And the 68-year-old belter, who left Foreigner in 2003 and only recently rejoined the iconic ‘70s and ’80s band for a couple of dates to celebrate their album Double Vision’s 40th anniversary, couldn’t be more excited.

“I think it’s awesome and honestly, I’ve got to say I was surprised it hadn’t happened earlier,” said Gramm, who will also see the musical’s final dress rehearsal on Wednesday night.

“But I’m certainly thrilled that it’s happening now.”

Jukebox Hero, The Musical, with a book by British duo Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais (The Commitments, Across The Universe) and 16 of Foreigner’s songs including Cold As Ice, Hot Blooded, Waiting For A Girl Like You, and I Want To Know What Love Is, was first workshopped in Calgary and Edmonton last year before arriving in Toronto. Its limited run in T.O. closes Sunday, Feb. 24 before the production is expected to tour.

Meanwhile, Foreigner with lead singer Kelly Hansen (since 2005), will launch an 18-date Canadian tour on Friday (Feb. 22) with original guitarist Mick Jones expected to show up at some dates and Gramm later at some U.S. stops.

Mick Jones and Lou Gramm of Foreigner attends the Songwriters Hall of Fame 44th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner at the New York Marriott Marquis on June 13, 2013 in New York City. (Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)

We caught up with Gramm down the line from Buffalo this week as he made his way to Toronto by car from his hometown of Rochester, N.Y.

Will it be strange watching someone else sing Foreigner songs on stage or do you enjoy it?

I love it. I like American Idol and some of those programs, and every now and then you see someone do a Foreigner song and I just love it. If they do it justice.

Will you do any more shows with Foreigner in the future?

We’ve done probably about eight or nine shows with the current Foreigner and the original Foreigner (lineup) already. And I think there’s more in store this year.

When you did those 40th-anniversary dates, it had been a while since you played with the group right? (Grammhas toured as a solo artist with his own band since leaving.)

Yes, Mick and I were not even in touch with each other for almost 10 years and then we were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame together (in 2013) and that kind of broke the ice. And then with the 40th anniversary of the Double Vision album, we really had some things to celebrate.

What caused the tension between you and Mick?

There was a point where our creative situation together wasn’t healthy and I think, honestly, after all this time, needed a break from each other. So that’s exactly what we did. (Now) it’s very good.

I watched a retirement speech by you at the end of a solo concert last December in Schenectady, New York? So is it more of a semi-retirement?

Pretty much I’m retired from my own band and doing tours every year. If I’m guesting for a show with Foreigner here and there, I’d love to do that. It’s not a lot of work and I’m not away very long ‘cause it’s not a full tour. Something like that I still find intriguing and fun. You know I’ve been doing this for over 40 years also and I’m a little tired of the grind.

Do you feel you’ve still got the goods?

My voice is in good shape and I feel in good shape. I think I question my relevance at some point.

I’m also assuming battling a brain tumour in 1997, five years after getting clean and sober, changed your outlook on your life and career?

It did you know. Honestly, I was extremely blessed and fortunate to get past that. It was life threatening and for most surgeons, it was deemed inoperable. And I was fortunate enough to find a surgeon in Boston who used laser surgery to remove tumours that were deemed inoperable. And he removed my tumour when I had seen two or three other surgeons and they told me to put my affairs in order.

Was your voice still there after the operation?

It was not completely there and I was on such massive steroids that I gained over 100 pounds. And the thing is that my surgeon didn’t want me performing for a year and a half. And five months after my surgery I was playing with Foreigner in Japan. It wasn’t good for me. I shouldn’t have been doing it. And after I gained 100 pounds, I didn’t feel good or look good and I took a tremendous backlash from fans who thought I was eating too much when it was the steroids that were blowing me up.

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